Ministry of Education Works on 50% Salary Increase for Researchers by 2026 – Kurbatov

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is making significant strides towards an initiative aimed at increasing the salaries of scientific workers by 50% by the year 2026. Deputy Minister Denis Kurbatov disclosed this information during an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. According to Kurbatov, the average salary in the scientific sector currently hovers around 15,000 to 18,000 hryvnias, although there are instances of even lower wages. He emphasized that even this average figure is alarmingly low, with some researchers earning significantly higher salaries through external funding, European Union grant projects, and business contributions.

Specifically, young specialists who are just beginning their careers in science earn approximately 10,000 to 12,000 hryvnias. This situation raises concerns, as such amounts do not reflect the importance and complexity of scientific work. The Deputy Minister stressed that, in the context of salary increases for scientific and pedagogical staff at universities, which saw a 30% rise at the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Education has adopted a different approach for scientific institutions.

Kurbatov explained that a basic funding model has been introduced for scientific institutions, which is contingent upon the results of their accreditation. This initiative has allocated an additional 3 billion hryvnias for science, distributed not solely based on the number of employees or the size of the institution but primarily according to the successes and achievements obtained during the accreditation process. As a result, top-performing staff can receive an additional 10,000 hryvnias on top of their monthly salaries.

Furthermore, Kurbatov mentioned that discussions with the Prime Minister and President included plans for further analysis of this funding model. Following the first quarter, the Ministry of Education intends to prepare proposals for a 30% increase in the overall salary framework for researchers, plus an additional 20% in 2026. "We hope for support in Parliament. Our goal is to elevate the overall base by 50%, while the additional funding from accreditations will also remain in place," he stated.

Kurbatov added that by May, the Ministry plans to prepare a proposal outlining the necessary funds to implement a salary increase model of 30% in 2024 and 20% in 2026, potentially effective from June 1 or July 1. He expressed hope that this could be realized despite the challenging financial situation in the country.

In addition, the Deputy Minister revealed that as part of the state order competition for scientific and technical products, there are plans to establish a salary norm of up to 35,000 hryvnias for scientific workers. This represents another step towards improving working conditions in the scientific field.

It is worth noting that as of January 1, 2023, salary scales for pedagogical and scientific-pedagogical staff in higher education institutions were already increased by 30%, with an additional 20% increase planned for September 2023. This reflects the efforts of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to enhance the financial situation of researchers and support the development of science in the country.